Kristin Hill Taylor

Seeking God as the Author of Every Story

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Three Word Wednesday :: Consider It Joy

May 20, 2015 by Kristin Leave a Comment

As cliché as it sounds, I can’t believe we are well into May. This year has been the Year of Joy. And I don’t mean everything has gone according to plan and fit in a box, tied up with a pretty bow.

But God has been teaching me about his joy and how it flows from letting go and laying down and waiting and watching and serving and giving and loving and forgiving. I’m noticing joy in a way I haven’t before. I know deep in my soul that joy doesn’t equate to happiness, but it does leave us peace that passes all understanding.

Joy is a choice. {Tweet that.}

Philippians 4:4 :: “Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!” 

Joy doesn’t dictate our circumstances, but instead determines our attitude.

James 1:2-3 :: “Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance.”

Joy comes when we know and seek God.

Romans 15:13 :: “I pray that God, the source of hope, will fill you completely with joy and peace because you trust in him. Then you will overflow with confident hope through the power of the Holy Spirit.”

I don’t get it right all the time, that’s for sure. But I’m so grateful I have these truths to come back to again and again.

My #choosingJOY list on my phone is growing as I count the joys I notice in my everyday life. Some days I’m more in tune to my list – and the joys themselves. Regardless, joy abounds when I slow my mind and notice, even if there is chaos around me. Joy comes even on the hard days because God is there too. I hear about joy in songs and see it in my kids.

259. Multiple walks outside this week. … 261. Stolen moments of quiet. 262. Winning a book I’ve been wanting to read. 263. Crystal Light Grape Drink! 264. A spring day in a stretch of days that felt like summer. … 272. Walking and playing in the rain.

Joy is a tiny word but a mighty concept – and one I want more of in my life. {Tweet that.}

________________

152 Insights to My Soul

An InLinkz Link-up

I’m linking up with Mary Carver’s Works For Me Wednesday because choosing joy works for me!

Want more insights? “Peace in the Process: How Adoption Built My Faith & My Family” is available on Amazon. Like me on Facebook, follow me on Twitter, peek into my life on Instagram, follow 152 Insights at Bloglovin’, or subscribe to receive “Insights in Your Inbox.”

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Filed Under: faith, JOY, life, quotes, Three Word Wednesday, Works For Me Wednesday

Comments

  1. Ifeoma Samuel says

    May 20, 2015 at 11:14 am

    I Choose Joy!
    Hello Kristin, how have you been?
    Thanks for the link up today.
    Many Blessings to you

    Reply
  2. Candace Creates says

    May 20, 2015 at 11:53 am

    I absolutely adore that picture of your son bringing your flowers, Kristin. That face is too cute! I've found a lot of peace in learning I don't have to be happy to find joy. As a common sufferer of depression, I always thought happiness and joy were the same and would forever evade me. As I allow more joy in my life, I often get the added bonus of happiness :). I love this: "Joy is a choice." I'm definitely tweeting that!

    Reply
  3. Katie Reid says

    May 20, 2015 at 12:27 pm

    Joy in a choice- yes! Choosing it today. Choosing Him today.

    Reply
  4. Karen Brown says

    May 20, 2015 at 12:40 pm

    I don't get it right all of the time either, but I'm choosing joy with you. Thanks for these words- your place is always a source of encouragement.

    Reply
  5. Beth says

    May 20, 2015 at 3:03 pm

    I just love your choosing joy journey! I just love YOU! Love that picture of your boy too. <3

    Reply
  6. KristinHillTaylor says

    May 20, 2015 at 3:22 pm

    I love seeing your smiling, sweet face here today. So grateful for your encouragement on this journey because it's been some of your words that have propelled me this way. Love you. xoxo

    Reply
  7. KristinHillTaylor says

    May 20, 2015 at 3:23 pm

    So grateful for your kind words, Karen. And I'm so glad you find encouragement here.

    Reply
  8. KristinHillTaylor says

    May 20, 2015 at 3:23 pm

    Glad to be on this journey with you, Katie! xoxo

    Reply
  9. KristinHillTaylor says

    May 20, 2015 at 3:24 pm

    "As I allow more joy in my life, I often get the added bonus of happiness." –> YES! That's so true. I'm encouraged by you! Thanks for being here.

    Reply
  10. KristinHillTaylor says

    May 20, 2015 at 3:24 pm

    So glad you're here, Ifeoma! Hope you're doing well..

    Reply
  11. Ifeoma Samuel says

    May 20, 2015 at 3:26 pm

    Yes I am doing well thanks

    Reply
  12. Beth says

    May 20, 2015 at 3:41 pm

    You bless me. <3

    Reply
  13. Tiffany says

    May 20, 2015 at 4:03 pm

    Me too! Joy is a beautiful thing to savor and search after. And we find quite a bit of it right here in your sweet little slice of the web. Blessings to you friend!

    Reply
  14. KristinHillTaylor says

    May 20, 2015 at 7:19 pm

    You're so sweet, Tiffany! xoxo

    Reply
  15. melody hester says

    May 20, 2015 at 11:21 pm

    Love this Kristin. Your son is adorable! I'm starting MF Fight Back with Joy this week. Having to fight back with joy right now in my situation and it's worth the fight.

    Reply
  16. KristinHillTaylor says

    May 21, 2015 at 12:35 am

    Thanks, Melody! I've been wanting to read that book. I know it'll be a good one. Hope you're feeling better!

    Reply
  17. Sharon says

    May 21, 2015 at 7:01 pm

    Last year was my Year of Joy – and it started out with my father passing away. Let me tell you, God proceeded to teach me more about HIS joy than I thought it possible to learn. I'm so glad that you're learning some of the same things – especially that joy is a choice, something we intentionally *do* even when life is unhappy and difficult.

    GOD BLESS!

    Reply
  18. Dawn says

    May 21, 2015 at 8:06 pm

    Love! 🙂 Thank you for the reminder to choose the joyful and to live in Joy. I love your pictures, they always make me smile!
    Bless you!
    Dawn

    Reply
  19. KristinHillTaylor says

    May 21, 2015 at 9:56 pm

    I love you being here, Dawn! xoxo

    Reply
  20. KristinHillTaylor says

    May 21, 2015 at 9:57 pm

    It's only May, and this choosing JOY is rocking my world, in a good way. 🙂 Thanks for your encouragement to keep choosing it, Sharon!

    Reply
  21. Christy says

    May 21, 2015 at 9:57 pm

    I LOVE this Kristen! I'm with you. I want more joy in my life. And if I understand the scriptures correctly, the key to it is living daily in light of gospel truth-"looking to the joy set before us"-A.K.A. our eternal fate with God the Father.

    Heb 12:1 Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us,

    Heb 12:2 looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.

    Reply
  22. KristinHillTaylor says

    May 21, 2015 at 9:59 pm

    YES! I love those verses, especially remembering God is the creator and perfecter of our faith – it's because of what He did and does and doesn't depend on our own doing. Yet we can choose to continue seeking him and trusting him to know peace and joy more abundantly. Thanks for spurring on such encouragement, Christy!

    Reply
  23. Marisa Slusarcyk says

    May 22, 2015 at 2:44 am

    I love this!! My word of the year was "Finish" because I start so many things and don't finish them, from books to Bible studies to cleaning up. With my back being bad it has been slow going but I am truly feeling blessed each week when I get to check another thing off the list! Praying you continue to find joy in all places!!

    Reply

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About Me

Telling stories is my therapy and I love sharing them with friends on my porch.

The main characters in my stories are my entrepreneur husband, our high school girl who never forgets, our middle school boy who has no fear, and our joy-filled first-grade girl. As we live out our stories, we seek God as the author of them all.

Learn more about my story here.

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🎶 All throughout my history / Your faithfulness 🎶 All throughout my history / Your faithfulness has walked beside me / The winter storms made way for spring / In every season, from where I'm standing / I see the evidence of Your goodness / All over my life … 🎶 @joshbaldwin in “Evidence”

I love summer. But my summer has started off busy: appointments, book edits deadline, establish new habits with the kids at home. All that’s necessary and good, it just cuts into my down time beside the pool. 

Today we have two open gyms for our basketball players, my book study with a few friends, a new weekly high school girls’ book study at our house, and a monthly dad-son character study. 

I long for a little more white space on the calendar, but I also wouldn’t change a thing because the kids are only 16, 13, and 7 once. This summer will only be this summer once. And I’ve already learned time flies with big kids. 

So here we are finding out footing, singing praises with church friends on our porch, grilling delicious chicken, and squeezing in the wide-open spaces when we can. This is evidence of the good stuff. 

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The Hill family reunion at @shelterpointretreat ha The Hill family reunion at @shelterpointretreat has become a favorite tradition to kick off summer! The weather was perfect and everyone enjoyed one another. 

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